With the dramatic growth of mobile devices, the demand for mobile apps has increased worldwide. This has led large organizations to invest heavily in this area, thereby increasing the need for a more cloud-friendly mobile testing solution.
Today in this article, we will look at major problems in mobile application development and testing problems that are stumping technical teams around the world.
Testing stage in mobile application development
Mobile app testing is a challenging task that requires developers to consider various approaches to ensure high-quality products that meet the audience’s expectations. The abundance of testing methods presents a significant challenge, as each approach has its pros and cons, making it difficult to determine the best option in advance.
So, let’s take a closer look at the main problems in mobile application development in the testing stage:
- Too many devices in the world.
- Device fragmentation.
- Various screen sizes.
- Countless kinds of mobile apps.
- Mobile network bandwidth.
- Security issues.
- Strict deadlines.
- Too many application testing tools.
Too many devices in the world
Just imagine, in 2022, 1.21 billion smartphones were sold worldwide. From these numbers, it is easy to guess the variety of mobile devices used in the global forum. Yet, this poses a problem for the testing team, since apps are awaited to run effortlessly on most of these devices.
As a result, every mobile app needs to be compatible with a significant number of mobile devices globally. To achieve this, an organization needs to establish a comprehensive foundation that contains mobile app testing solutions and a physical hub of prevalent devices. Still, this can pose a significant financial obstacle for start-ups that may not be adequately equipped to meet the investment demands.
Device fragmentation
One of the primary obstacles in mobile app testing is device fragmentation, which refers to the ever-growing number of active devices that an app runs on at any given time. This presents a significant compatibility challenge for testing teams as they must verify that the app functions seamlessly not only across different operating systems but also on various versions of the same operating system.
Anyhow, this problem can be overcome by using a cloud-based mobile app testing solution. The cloud-based mobile app testing interface simplifies the process:
- Download the app with a single click.
- Test the app on diverse Android emulators and iOS simulators.
- Monitor app quality.
- Rely on the cloud for fast delivery and more.
Various screen sizes
The size of the mobile screen plays a crucial role in how an app is displayed on different devices. Adapting the app to various mobile screens is one of the most demanding aspects of mobile app testing, as developers need to ensure that the app is optimized to suit each screen size. This involves resizing the app and adjusting to different screen resolutions to maintain consistency across devices. It can be a daunting task, particularly if the app has not been thoroughly tested.
Countless kinds of mobile apps
Developing a mobile app can be an effective strategy to enhance brand awareness, acquire new customers, and provide a seamless user experience for existing ones.
Keeping this in perspective, let’s delve into the three primary types of mobile apps:
- Native apps.
- Web apps.
- Hybrid apps.
Mobile network bandwidth
Mobile bandwidth testing is an important part of mobile app testing, Weelorum says. Users expect high mobile app speeds, which the backend team has to deliver. An app that fails to deliver faster results also performs poorly in terms of data transfer.
Failure to test and optimize an application for varying user bandwidths can lead to lag during the exchange of information between the user and server. Therefore, the testing team should conduct tests under different network conditions to determine the app’s response time on a case-by-case basis. This will enhance the efficiency of the process and make the application more robust.
Security issues
Security concerns pose a significant hurdle for mobile app testing teams. These issues can arise from various sources, such as vulnerabilities in the app’s code or data breaches. As such, ensuring that the app is secure and free from any potential security threats is of utmost importance.
The testing team must take proactive measures to address any potential vulnerabilities and safeguard user data. While private cloud-based mobile app testing tools are secure, there are several issues that app developers regularly face.
They are:
- Easier cache access.
- Poor encryption.
This process is one of the most important tasks of mobile app testing, as the respective teams must perform all possible test cases to make sure that the app works on the encryption side.
Strict deadlines
User demands are often exorbitant, forcing companies to work to a strict schedule to release applications. Fixes, bug fixes, and updates are other demands that keep development and testing teams on their toes. All of this requires constant and rapid testing of mobile apps.
The intricate nature of mobile app testing, which involves testing on both mobile app emulators and simulators, as well as physical devices, often puts testing teams in a difficult position when it comes to meeting deadlines.
The complexity of the process can lead to unforeseen obstacles, resulting in delays that could potentially affect the app’s release date. More often than not, due to tight schedules, the technical team doesn’t have time to do comprehensive testing.
Too many application testing tools
There is a wide range of cloud-based tools for testing mobile apps that are not built on a one-to-one basis. There are separate tools for different types of apps, some of them only test Android apps, and others for iOS apps.
However, instead of being useful, they often complicate the process. For example, tech teams can get confused about the ideal platform to test most, if not all, of their apps. In addition, subscribing to many such paid programs can be hard on a company’s budget, and using free tools is fraught with other nuisances, such as data leaks and poor results.
Conclusion
The purpose of this article is to provide a holistic view of the 11 major mobile app testing challenges faced by technical teams around the world. We have also tried to look at the main solutions to help cope with these challenges. However, readers should keep in mind that each of the main problems in mobile application development is unique to the team facing it. Therefore, it’s best to keep researching and asking for the help of experts, like Weelorum.
